Lawrence developer found guilty of improperly disposing of asbestos
A developer from Lawrence was found guilty this week of violating federal laws on disposing asbestos, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas said in a news release.
The case stemmed from the developer’s alleged improper handling of asbestos at the Alvamar Country Club while it was undergoing demolition and renovation in 2016, the news release said. Prosecutors argued the developer was in violation of the Clean Air Act.
Jurors found Thomas S. Fritzel, 53, guilty in federal court on Tuesday of failing to notify authorities before removing asbestos, failing to keep asbestos wet during demolition to prevent air contamination and failing to dispose of asbestos in leak-tight containers.
According to the news release, Fritzel bought the country club in January 2016. Prosecutors said he knew the roof of the building had contained 75 percent chrysotile asbestos.
A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Fritzel faces up two years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 for failing to notify authorities. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the other two counts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Fritzel, developer of the Oread Hotel in Lawrence, and his bookkeeper, Keela Lam, were named as defendants last summer in a separate case, which is still pending in U.S. District Court in Kansas.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office had announced in June 2018 that the two were indicted on charges of scheming to collect more than $400,000 in fraudulent tax returns from the city.
This story was originally published July 30, 2019 at 8:49 PM.
